Man charged with masturbating in vehicle, said he had jock itch

Friday

Aug 30, 2013 at 2:14 PMAug 30, 2013 at 2:16 PM

Manuel Gamiz Jr.

A man seen exposing himself by two women this week in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, told police he wasn't masturbating, he was scratching himself because he had jock itch, according to court records.

Malcolm L. Bates, 22, of Plymouth, Luzerne County, was inside his sport-utility-vehicle and openly masturbating at 2 p.m. Wednesday while he was parked at a shopping center on Airport Road in Hanover Township, according to court records.

A woman told police he opened the door to his SUV and looked at her as he touched himself, according to court records. That witness called police and gave a description of the vehicle, including the license plate number, according to court records.

The next day, another woman called police and told them she saw a man in an SUV openly masturbating outside a motel at Airport Road and Catasauqua Avenue, according to court records. She gave similar descriptions of the man and his vehicle, police said.

Police located the SUV and talked to Bates, according to court records. Bates told police he suffers from jock itch and was scratching himself, according to court records. He said he may have exposed himself while scratching, according to court records.

Police took Bates into custody and searched him for weapons, finding marijuana and an electronic scale on him, according to court records.

Bates was charged with two counts each of open lewdness and indecent exposure and one count each of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arraigned by District Judge David M. Howells Jr. and sent to Lehigh County Prison under $12,000 bail.___(c)2013 The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)Visit The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) at www.mcall.comDistributed by MCT Information Services